The Ohio State football program looked like a program in crisis after losing to Michigan last season. It was the fourth straight loss to TTUN, and it was to the worst Michigan team since 2020. Quite frankly, it was an embarrassing loss that almost tanked an incredible season.
Instead, it was a rallying point for the Ohio State Buckeyes. They had a meeting in the locker room after the game that has been well-documented. Grievances were aired about how and why they lost that game, and players were very critical of Ryan Day and his game plan.
Until recently, details about how critical they were were not floated around to the public. With the release of the book Buckeye Brotherhood, a book from Columbus Dispatch writer Bill Rabinowitz about the 2024 season, those details show just how harshly the players went at their head coach.
Ryan Day took severe criticism from Ohio State football players after loss to Michigan in 2024
According to the book, things got very real very quickly in that locker room. Seth McLaughlin, who was injured and didn't play in the game, recounted just how personal some of the criticism got for Day after he tried to initially defend the game plan he had for that game.
"I forget who said it, but someone was like, 'You know, Coach Day, when you go on about stuff like this, I'm not going to lie, people hate you when you act like this.'"
Whoever that unnamed player was certainly had some pointed criticism for Day. It was criticism that he felt comfortable giving him, and it was something he needed to hear. He made sure that he didn't make that same mistake during the run through the College Football Playoff.
Day was ultra-aggressive with his game plans for the run in the CFP. The Buckeyes threw the ball around at will, opening up lanes for the running game. They allowed Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka to do what they do best, and that's why they were able to dominate every game they played.
Hopefully, there is never a need for players to call Day out like this again. So far this season, every button he has pressed has worked on both sides of the ball. This team might be better than the won that won the national championship a year ago, which is a scary thought for the rest of the country.